Still confusion over businesses operating on Christmas Day
Still confusion over businesses operating on Christmas Day
By
fijivillage.com
21/12/2010
There is still a lot of confusion on whether businesses will be allowed to open for normal operations on Saturday as there are differing views on the matter.
The government has said in a statement this morning that Saturday December 25th which is Christmas Day is not a working day after concerns that some employers may insist that their workers clock in on Saturday which is Christmas Day because of the public holiday that follows on Monday, the week after.
The Indian Division of the Methodist Church of Fiji also alleged that some employers have given their workers an ultimatum that if they do not show up at work on Saturday, they will not be paid for the two public holidays on Monday and Tuesday.
Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation CEO Nezbit Hazelman confirmed to Fijivillage that retailers have agreed to open for business on Saturday but for limited hours as December 25th is not a gazetted public holiday.
Hazelman also stressed that no employer can force an employee to work on Christmas Day and if they are issuing ultimatums, then they are breaching the labour laws.
The President of Fiji Retailers Association Himmat Lodhia is also urging employers to be considerate and release their Christian employees this Saturday to attend church services.
He also stressed that no one can be forced to work on Christmas Day although they are of the view that it will be a normal working day.
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office Lieutenant Colonel Pio Tikoduadua confirmed earlier today that government will make another statement on the matter to clarify whether businesses will be allowed to open on Christmas Day.
The NGO Coalition on Human Rights and their allies have stressed that the recent proposals by the Great Council of Chiefs to the Constitution Review ...
1 hour ago
More women will now be empowered through new economic opportunities following the groundbreaking of the Suva Market Inspiring Women Cooperative ...
11 minutes ago
Amalgamated Telecom Holdings CEO, Ivan Fong confirmed in the High Court today that former Director of Telecom Fiji Limited, Sanjay Kaba’s ...
58 minutes ago
Fijians are strongly advised to avoid all travel, including transit, to several high-risk countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Iran, Israel, ...
1 hour ago
Farmers in Sigatoka are facing heavy losses after Tropical Cyclone Vaianu damaged farms and disrupted essential services.Speaking to fijivillage ...
2 hours ago
Fijians are being warned to take extra care at sea following reports of the presence of the highly venomous Box Jellyfish in local waters.The ...
2 hours ago
The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) is urging the public to remain alert, prepared, and watch out for one another as Tropical Cyclone ...
3 hours ago
Serious concerns are being raised regarding a proposed Australian company's TNG Waste-to-Energy incinerator in Saweni, Vuda, and a group of concerned ...
4 hours ago
Opposition MP, Vijay Nath has questioned by the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission waited until 7:35pm last night to drop the bomb on the ...
4 hours ago
